The Roman Lee Series "Beneath Devil's Lake" Bonus Chapter (15 minutes of fame)

THE ROMAN LEE SERIES

 

"BENEATH DEVIL'S LAKE"

 

 

Thirty-nine

7:00PM

 

Robert Stanwick arrived home and found his wife’s Audi parked near the doorway.  Most of the time it was parked near the 4-car garage on the other side of their beautiful brick home.  He had purchased the Audi for her shortly after they returned from their honeymoon in Antigua.  The new Cadillac Escalade was in the garage next to her empty spot.  They each had two vehicles.  One was for the winter and the other for the summer driving. Robert pulled around back with his Mercedes and into his parking space inside the garage.  Getting out he grabbed his briefcase and laptop bag.  He opened the back door that led into a small hallway and eventually into the kitchen.  Must be a takeout night tonight he thought to himself opening the refrigerator and not seeing his dish there.  Brie was not a great cook but she tried and had improved recently noticing a stack of cooking magazines on the counter.  Most nights she had dinner ready when he got home and if he was running late it was in their built in subzero refrigerator with a cute sticky note if she could not hold out any longer.

“Brie are you there?  Where is my sexy spinning seductress” he called. 

The interior of the home was silent with no response.  His smartphone danced with vibration accompanied by a ringtone whistle on the granite counter.  It was a text from Brie.

“Out shopping and dinner with the girls from the gym.  Be back later. Your food is in the micro. New Chinese dish.”

He flipped on the microwave for a couple minutes. It gave him the time to put his coat away and remove his shoes.  The pitched alarm announced it had completed its reheating task.  The plate was hot to the touch.  He grabbed a knife and fork deciding he would read at the breakfast nook and eat.  He cut a piece and chewed, it tasted peculiar but seemed edible.  Brie was trying new dishes not content to stick with recipes she was comfortable with any longer.  He had to commend her for the effort. As he chewed and read his favorite authors newest release “The Harvest Scar” he felt a tingling sensation in his mouth.   His next bite brought the sound of his tooth breaking off along with searing pain in his mouth and jaw line. The feeling of something solid and sharp. Robert extracted the object from his mouth and was in obvious pain.   It was an ominous sign of events yet to unfold.  It was Brie's wedding ring!  He placed it on the napkin next to his plate. But something else more shocking had caught his eye.  The very end of a painted index finger peeking out of the egg roll.  Hairs on the back of his neck stood erect and nausea attacked him viciously as he understood he had just consumed part of his wife.  He was unable to move and wanted to get to the kitchen sink to vomit.  He reached for the top button of his shirt as he began to perspire heavily. Looking down at the table his hand had not moved an inch.  His breathing became labored as he fell forward from his seated position smashing his face on the wooden table sending the plate and its morbid contents crashing to the floor.   Laying there facing the kitchen sink his breathing now considerably slower and shallow he realized he had been poisoned.  The Tetrodotoxin had scored its victory over Robert Stanwicks body in less than a few minutes.   The poison was selected by Ned Harris because of its fast-acting properties.  Much like the succhynicoline it rendered the victim helpless.  Muscles in the body were neutralized.  TXX was lethal in small amounts.  It had been purchased online from a Chinese Herb store.  Ned had warned him in a previous email and now that he had been called in to consult for the task force he had to be eliminated.  His beautiful wife was a wonderful bonus.

Robert had just notified the Vice President that he was requesting a sabbatical to assist in the investigation.  He was eager for the opportunity having grown weary of the endless meetings and petty squabbling that he had to mediate. 

His contributions toward the capture would solidify his legacy as the worlds’ most prolific criminal profiler.  He could see the accolades now, true crime television, book advances and speaking engagements. He had been watching Ned at work now for some time.  Ever since they met on the website.  Ned was a monster unlike any of the serial killers he had tracked or interviewed.  Sure, there were the intelligent charmers like Bundy.  Ned Harris was a shell of a human being driven only by his desire to control and kill his victims.  His intelligence must be off the charts.  His first kill was probably a low-profile victim.  Could have been a prostitute or homeless person.  He was now preying on a segment of society that required skill and precision.  But like most serial murderers he wasn't trying to get caught it was his ego that would betray him.  The arrogance and feeling of superiority always dominated these personality disorders.

His life review was short.  Flashes of childhood memories mixed with current ones.  The game winning hit in his final little league game.  The marriage to Brie and the days of endless physical bliss during their honeymoon in Antigua.  Ned Harris emerged from the other room and stood in front of Robert Stanwick.  He squatted down so they could see eye to eye before Stanwick's body went lifeless. 

“I wanted to make sure that you understood the scope of my power.  It's unfortunate that our correspondence had to end like this.  I know you would have wasted little time into turning yourself into some national hero.  You will still have your fifteen minutes of fame just not the way you intended.”